First Bombcast Ad

So I guess this week's Bombcast marks the first one to have an ad? I honestly had zero issue with that even though it caught me off guard at first, but if this means that GB can increase their worth and better convey to the higher ups how popular their podcast is then I support them on trying this out.

I haven't listened all the way through yet so I'm only assuming that there was only the one ad. I wonder if this is going to be become a regular thing or if there will be multiple ones in the same Bombcast.

What are your thoughts on the first Bombcast ad?

As long as they don't have to take a break in-between for an ad, then I'm good.

I think it's hilarious with Jeff using his radioman's voice. This is not unlike how Rev3Games does things.

If having ads means we continue to bombcast then ads their shall be.

I was worried about this as a regular listener of the cast, but after hearing the first one my thoughts are:

I'm totally game for ads during the cast as long as they are delivered LIVE just as Jeff's was today. I don't want some prefab radio ad getting played every 15 minutes of the cast, that'd be outrageous. Hearing the guys spit an ad in their own funny way during a cast wouldn't be bad, in Fact if done right, it could be a hilarious part of the cast for them to poke fun of, as they did today.

It all depends on the execution, but obviously, $ for GB is what we all want here.

@irrelevantjohn said:

They take breaks all the time anyway.

WHAT!? PREPOSTEROUS! SCANDALOUS! UNACCEPTABLE!

Yeah, whatever, but please don't put them all in the middle of the ad. Load them at the front or put them at the back, where I can conveniently skip them, but please not in the middle.

Yeah, I hate in podcasts when you hear an ad and the voice ends up being that stereotypical sales pitch kind of tone which irritates me. Jeff is good at delivering the lines in a way that doesn't sound grating to me.

@believer258: So I'm not a premium member, but..

9218 posts and you're not premium?

:O!

I was fine with it, and my initial reaction was "well, it's about time they did this." I hope the proceeds go to improve the site, that's all.

It's not like Jeff's delivery is pathetic and forced, he fucking goes for it. I actually downloaded the non-premium one for the adz.

I mentioned this before but maybe ad-block does have some effects to a site like giant bomb. Also I have to ask if there is anyway for us to sync the premium podcast to itunes?

I didn't even know that there was another version of the podcast under the premium section. I'll stick to listening to the regular one if the ads don't get too out of hand.

There are some high posters that don't have premium.

I did have premium for about a year and I enjoyed some of the stuff I couldn't have seen otherwise, but there isn't a ton of new premium content that I'm dying to see (at least in part because I only listen to one podcast a week). Also fifty bucks isn't something that I can just throw around. I might get a monthly membership at some point, though.

I like how it sounded like Jeff was holding off laughing while recording that ad.

I could listen to the ad-free version but I don't care. 2 hours a week for 5 years. I can put up with a 10 second ad.

I have been listening to MBMBaM and the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe with ads for while now, and just like those podcasts ads have little impact on the actual content of the podcast. That said I am glad to see that the staff went the MBMBaM route in terms of presenting the ads.

I haven't listened to the podcast yet but I wonder if Jeff and co. would discuss why they would go this route. Anywho when I hit the gym later I'll give it a listen.

That's the exact comparison I was going to make! Hearing Jeff do the radioman voice definitely evoked how Rev3 in particular actually add a bit of humour to them sometimes, especially Max.

Anywhoo I have no problem with it. It's cool that they even put in an ad-less alternative, but if they're all going to be akin to this one, then I'll just still stick to the regular bombcast anyway.

As a guy that listens to sports radio. I have no issue with the Bombcast having ads.

That seems relatively unobtrusive. You may continue with your heads attached, Gerstmann and Co. You're welcome.

As long as they can keep doing what they do, then ads are fine. It was completely inoffensive to my Bombcast listening experience.

I think Radio Jeff is great, but Premium Members should remember that they can listen to the ad-less version of the Bombcast in the Premium Podcasts section if they so desire. :)

Me either if it means doing more dumb stuff.

I want someone from Idle Thumbs to do an ad read for Giant Bomb.

I still don't understand why everyone is so anti-ad. I enjoy me some good ads.

Also, I don't think this is technically the first ad on the bombcast. I seem to recall one waaaay back with Ryan reading it out. I can't remember what the product was, though... I do however remember that it caused a slight stir.

As long as the Giant Bomb crew reads the ads themselves, then I'm fine with them.

Yeah, I think it was a Dragon Age 2 promotion?

@mcghee: Oh yeah, that thing. That wasn't really a podcast-specific ad, though, that was just mentioning a contest that was happening on the site, I think. Minor difference, I suppose.

@baillie said:

I think they should do ads, but specifically during the minute or two when Brad has to inevitably leave for a bathroom break.

@believer258: Break up the middle of each section with an ad just out of spite of people wanting to easily skip around them, tia.

Just give me a few minutes to muster up some faux rage about this and then I'll come back and express my discontent. cool? cool.

Almost every podcast I listen to have ads so I'm surprised it took them this long.

So, is there a "watitng room" thread for bombcast ad that I can go to?

As long as the ads are limited to a reasonable length and there are a reasonable number of them and they are for reasonable (as opposed to arbitrary) stuff, I am perfectly fine with it. I haven't heard the adds yet, but if the guys judgment about these things is as good as it has been I doubt I will have a problem. Good for them, basically. I hope it benefits the site.

That's actually exactly what they did. An ad at the start, and an ad in the middle.

I'm just glad they chose to address the ad with the appropriate degree of mockery and humor. The nintendo store music helped.

As a listener for many years i do not have a problem with it.

I'm actually more okay with "in podcast ads" than web page ones especially if one of the crew writes and performs it.

I'm not a fan but I don't care enough to download the non-ad version so whatever.

I loved it.

I didn't really mind the one at the beginning too much. The one in the middle goes on for like almost 3 minutes though and I think that's just ridiculous.

As long as there continues to be an ad-free version of the podcast for subscribers, I'm okay with the whole thing. I think the "YAY, ADS" people are weird, though.

I'm a subscriber, and I have no problem with audio ads in the podcast, as long as they get it out of the way at the beginning. I would not appreciate it if my podcast was interrupted by advertisement.

My ONLY problem... I use a podcast app on my phone and it's set to auto download from the GBcast RSS feed as well as the premium RSS feed. Now I get two bomb casts. Be nice if they split the Premium non-Bombcast and Premium Bombcast feeds so that doesn't happen.

Regardless, I'm listening to the one with ads. Another subject that Jeff will surely make me wet myself with, and I love when Jeff makes me wet.

I'm thrilled about it, more power to them. I'd love to avoid mid podcast faux conversations about the benefits of stamps.com, but if Jeff's yelling out a Radioguy Voice commercial at the start I'll take it every time. Hell, I'm almost excited for a potential "Should literature talk?" audible.com commercial.

Guys, let's adblock the podcast.

Everybody knows that this warrants an animation, right?

Yes please!

I think it's fucking awesome. More power to them!

From the sound of it, seems like the ads are can't miss with the crew doing them. As said by some others, I'll stick with the normal feed instead of the ad free version for now

Awesome to hear they're monetizing stuff. I don't mind an ad (Have actually used podcast ads on occasion) and if it gives them something for making the podcast, good on them.